Roller-coaster



Nn. 6o9,|64. PatsntedAug. le, |898..

E. PnEscoTT. Y

ROLLER CASTER.

(Application filed Oct. 11, 1897.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet Il.

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No. 609,|64. Patented Aug. I6, |898. E. PRESCDTT. RoLLER cuAsTEB.

(Application filed Oct. 11, 1897.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (No Model.)

11H: Nonms persas co. Pno'mm' 4^inercia.

EDIVIN PRESCOTT, OF ARLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

RoLLER-coAsTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 609,164, dated August16, 1898. Application filed October 11, 1897. Serial No. 654,764. (Nomodel.)

To all whom t may concern.:

Beit known that I, EDWIN PRESCOTT, of Arlington, county of Middlesex,and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inRoller-Coasters, of which the following description, in connection withthe accompanying drawings, is a specification, like' letters and figureson the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of a novelroller-coaster or railway chieiiy for purposes of pleasure.

My improved roller-coaster presents parallel tracks laid with steepgradients and containinga circularly-arranged vertical loop or loops,the car moving at the lower end of a steep gradient partaking of acircular movement, said car for part of its course being inverted; but,due to centrifugal action, the contents of the car remains securely inplace and the ear follows the track. To, however, provide against thecar leaving the track should it be possible from any unforeseencircumstances, I have provided the car with safety appliances, the saidsafety appliances being herein shown as a second track, it beingarranged parallel to and perpendicular Vss with relation to the circularpart of the main track as well as to the gradients coming to and leavingthe circular track.l To further provide for the secure running of thecar and insure means whereby when the car is changing from one part ofthe circular track onto another portion thereof having a spiral trendthe wheels of the car may not leave the track, I have mounted one of theaxles of the car upon the ear-body so that it may" turn slightly notonly about a horizontal pivot, but also about a vertical pivot, withrelation to said car, this being essential to always keep all the wheelsof the carin firm bearing on the track; and to yet further insure thesafety of the car and its maintenance on the track I have provided meanswhereby the car-axles may substantlially at all times occupy a positionradial to the center of the curves of the track, said devices being,however, shown as a third or intermediate rail substantially parallel tothe main tracks, but

more or less out of central relation thereto, that depending on theradius of the curve,

it being nearer the outer of the main. rails the sharper the curve, andagainst this third track travels suitable wheels carried by armsconnected with the axle-carrying parts of the car. lation to the car onvertical pivots, so that their positions may be readily changed to adaptthe wheels to the curvature of the tracks. The cartruck, with its frame,is provided with additional wheels, which form in this instance of myinvention a part of the safety device, said wheelsnormally clearing thesafety-track, and in case of any lack of centrifugal force which shouldcarry the car quickly about the inner side of the circular part of thetrack these wheels will immediately take their bearing on thesafety-track until gravity or centrifugal force again controls the car,when immediately the wheels of the truck bear on the main track, andalso one wheel of each axle is loose to there4 by lessen friction ingoing about a curve.

I have herein shown the track so arranged that a portion thereof passesthrough the `open or central part of the circular track.

The apparatus may be provided with any usual or suitable means by whichto take the car at its lower level and put it into starting position atits highest level, said means being herein shown as a chain elevator.

I have arranged within the boundary of the rails of the track aspectators platform which is easily accessible from the ground bysuitable steps or elevator, and the platform may also serve to steadythe track-carrying frame.

Figure 1, in perspective, shows a rollercoaster embodying my invention.Fig. 2 is a diagram in plan view of the circular part of the track. Fig.3 is a plan view of the switching device at the starting-point of thetrack. Fig. t is a plan View of the car resting on the track, looking atit in the position Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a side view of the car and parts ofthe track. Fig. Gis a rear or lefthand end view of the car, Fig. l. Fig.7 is a front or right-hand end View; and Fig. 8 is a bottom or planview, the tracks being shown by dotted lines, as they would not appearin such view. i y

In making my improved roller-coaster I take suitable uprights ci andconnect them at Bothaxles are mounted on or with re- IOO on which thecar originally descends.

top and at suitable intervals by tie-pieces a', and on said tie-pieces,they being erected at suitable points on the uprights, according to thelevel desired for the tracks, I mount the main tracks b h', and betweenthe main tracks Iplace a guide track or rail o. The main track starts,let it be supposed, from the right in Fig. l and descends by a steepincline or gradient down to about the point bx, Fig. 1, when the saidtrack is given a circular upward curve, the track being then bent tooccupy a complete circle, and in its circle being carried spirallyaside, as represented in Fig. 2, it finally ascending again, asrepresented at the left in Fig. l, and curving around horizontally anddeclining somewhat it is extended through the central part of thecircular track down a suitable incline to about the point b4, where itmay, if desired, ascend more or less and again pass through the circularpart of the track to about the point b5, when it will again be curved,descending to the passenger-station d. From this passenger-station thetrack is extended, say, to the right in Fig. l up to a suitable switch,as c, Figs. l and 3, upon which the car A, taken from thepassenger-station CZ in any usual or suitable manner, as by an inclinedelevatorchain g, may be placed.l

The car having been placed on the switch, the switch will be turned inthe direction of the arrow, Fig. 3, until the car has been reversed andthe tracks of the switch areA brought in line with the main tracks I)and b', This invention is not, however, limited to bringing the car intostarting position or to making it staart by any particular mechanism,and instead I may employ any usual or suitable mechanism to elevate thecar.

The carin its descent from the switch to the passenger-station traversesthe circular loop referred to, it being designated by the letter h, andduring such time the car rides in a vertical circle, and it completelyreverses, but does not leave the track.

To make it certain that the car shall not under any circumstances leavethe track, I have provided a safety'appliance, which is composed,essentially, of tracks m, parallel to the tracks l) b', and said tracksm follow entirely about the circularly-arran ged tracks b and b and upand down outside the said circularly-arranged portion for any desired orsuitable distance, the said tracks m being suitably supported or bracedby braces m. The braces m constitute trusses,and connecting the tracks band m substantially as represented in the drawings the whole structureforms a self-supporting circular loop which is very stiff and rigid.

The forward axleB is mounted in an axlecarrying frame A3, pivotallymounted with relation to the body of the car A, and the rear axle A2 ismounted in an axle-carrying frame A8. Each of these frames supports alike framework,asn,(see Figs. 7 and 6,) which in turn supports arms n',provided with suitable rollers or wheels n2, said rollers or wheelsconstituting a part of the safetydevice hereinbefore referred to, theybeing so located with relation to the track m that in case of anyaccident or condition wherein the centrifugal force should fail to befully effective to keep the wheels A of the car on the tracks b and bthen in such condition the wheels n2 would immediately, they lyingalmost in contact with said track, contact with it, and thereafter thewheels n2 and tracks m would control the direction of movement of thecar until the car again arrives at such position with relation to thecircularly-arranged track that gravity or centrifugal action will havefull sway of the car, at which time the wheels A will again bear uponthe tracks b and b.

To insure that the wheels A' shall always remain upon the tracks b andb', and especially while the said wheels are following the spiral trendof the circular part of the track, I have mounted thefront-aXle-carrying frame A3 on a horizontal pivot A4, (shown best inFigs. 7 and 8,) extended from ayoke A5,which is coupled by a verticalcoupling-pin 2 with ears 3, extended from the car-body, so that saidaxle-carrying frame A3 is free to turn about the horizontally-arrangedpivot A4, and the yoke A5, so pivoted, is also free to turn about thevertical coupling pin 2X, thus making a sort of universal or gimbaljoint. Mounting the front axle in this way insures that the wheels Awill always remain on the tracks b and b, especially when passing thespiral trend. As herein shown, the rear-axle-carryin g frame A8 is freeto turn about a suitable like vertical coupling-pin 2. Each of theseaxle-carryin g frames A3 and As have attached to them a suitable arm orframe, as B/ and C, the arm C having a suitable pin 4, (see Fig. 8,)which enters a slot 5 in the arm B', and the arm C is provided, asherein shown, with two suitable rollers 6, which cooperate with theopposite sides of the third or intermediate guiding-track or guide-railo, it being arranged between the tracks b and b'; but said track omay bearranged more or less to the side of the center of the space betweensaid tracks I) and b, that depending upon the radius of the curve inwhich the tracks b and b are laid, the track 0 being nearer the outsidetrack of the curve the less the radius, such arrangement beingrepresented at the extreme right and left in Fig. l.

It will be observed that the rollers 6 G, running on the track 0, byfollowing that track causes the arms C and B to be swung more or less,they in their movements turning the axle-carrying frames out ofparallelism with relation to the ends of the car-body or placing them inlines radial to the center of curve of the track, and one of the wheelsof each axle is preferably made loose to thereby avoid friction inpassing curves.

IOO

In the manufacture of the car the body will" in practice be brought asclose to the main rails l) and b as possible, and I have also shown thecar-.body as provided with straps p to pass or suitable means Iwhichwould prevent the4 passengers in case they failed to keep their seatsand sought to leave them from falling from the car when the same isoverturned and while passing the upper part `of the circular loop of thetrack-as, for instance, the car might have a canopy top made of strongwirenetting, or any other usual or suitable appliance-might be devised.

The rail'o may at times be arranged substantially at the level of thetracks h and IJ', between which it is placed; but throughout thecircular part or loop h of the track the said rail 0 is placed, and itoccupies a smaller circle in order that the rollers 6 may contact withit, for it will be noticed, viewing Fig. 5, that said rollers 6 occupy adifferent level with relation to the tracks and h when on the circularpart of the track than they do when on the inclined or curved part ofthe track.

Vithin the round or curved portions of the main track I have arranged aspectators stand D, it being a platform sustained on a suitable rm poleor standard D/ by suitable braces 10, and this platform is braced to theties c by additional braces d20, only a few of said braces being hereinshown to avoid con- 1 fusion of the parts.

The spectators platform D may be reached by a suitable staircase D2, andthis platform may contain seats or tables, dac., according to theparticular use to which it is to be put, the persons occupying theplatform being very considerably amused by watching the operation of theroller-coaster.

In Fig. 3 I have broken `ott about one-halt of the turn-table to savespace on the drawings. The pivot e2 of said turn-table is locatedsubstantially centrally with relation to its length, so that the car runonto one end of the table may, when the table has been rotatedhalf-around, be run off the other end of said table, this plan enablingthe car to be reversed, so that it can always be started down with thesame end leading.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. A roller coasting apparatus, comprehending a track presenting steepgradients, a vertical circularlyarranged spiral loop between the saidgradients; a car to follow said tracks and pass about the interior ofthe loop 5 and safety appliances whereby the car is prevented fromfalling during its passage around within the circular loop,substantially as described.

2. In a roller-coasting apparatus, the following instrumentalities, viz:a main track its 'axles mounted in pivoted frames, and having arms oneof which has rollers to coperate with said guide-rail, substantially asdescribed. f

3. In a roller-coasting apparatus, the following instrumentalities, viz:a car; main tracks b and b presenting inclined portions, and betweensaid inclines a vertically and spirally varranged circular portion; `anda safety appliance composed essentially of additional safety-tracks marranged in a smaller circle within the circularly-arranged main tracks;and rollers attached to the truckframe and adapted under circumstancesto contact with said safety-track, substantially as described.

4. In a roller-coaster, inclined main tracks b and Z2', presentinginclined portions with verticallyarranged circular spiral portionsbetween said inclines; a car-body having one of i-ts Wheel-carryingframes mounted to turn about a horizontal axle on said car-body,.substantially as described. v

5. In a roller-coaster, inclined main tracks b and b', presentinginclined portions with vertically-arranged circular spiral portionsbetween said inclines, combined with a carbody having one of itsWheel-carrying frames mounted to turn about a horizontal anda verticalaxle on said car-body, one of the wheels of each axle being loosethereon, substantially as described.

6. In a roller-coaster, main tracks presenting inclined portions andbetween said inclined portions vertically, circularly, and spirallyarranged portions, and less inclined portions passing through the opencenter of the vertically and centrally arranged portions, substantiallyas described.

7. In a roller-coaster, a car; an inclined track followed by a circularspiral or loop portion, and a track leading from said circular spiral orloop portion on which thecar runs, a guide rail arranged between saidtracks, and safety appliances whereby the car is prevented from fallingduring its coast around within the said circular spiral or loop,substantially as described.

8. A roller coasting apparatus, comprehending a track presenting steepgradients, and a vertical circularlyarranged spiral loop between thesaid gradients; a car to follow said tracks and pass about the interiorof the loop; safety appliances, whereby the car is prevented fromfalling during its passage around within the circular loop; and an ele-IOO vator to take the car from the passengers platform to the switch,substantially as described.

9. In a roller-coasting apparatus, the following instrumentalities, viz:a main trackv composed of two substantially parallel rails; a guide-railarranged between the said main rails and more closely to the outer oneof said rails at the sharp curves of the track; a car having its axlesmounted in pivoted frames,

and having arms one of which has rollers to coperate with saidguide-rail, substantially as described.

10. In a roller-coaster, inclined main tracks b and b presentinginclined portions with vertically-arranged circular spiral portionsbetween said inclines, combined with a carbody having one of itsWheel-carrying frames EDWIN PRESCOTT.

Vitnesses:

GEo. W. GREGORY, MARGARET A. DUNN.

